Fabric-clasp.



LIE. BEIIEBAUII/I.

FABRIC CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6. 1913A Patentedsept. 21, 1915.

`:I UNIBIA PLANOQRAFH co..w/ISMINGTUN, D. c.

LEE E. BEREBAUM, or CHICAGO, Immers.

FABRIC-ones?.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 21, 19175.

Application filed May 16, 1913.` Serial No. 768,009.

To all whom, t may concern Be ity known that I, LEE E. BEREBAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi, cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric- Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

clasps and has a special reference to garment or fabric clasps.V

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a clasp that is adaptedto be easily and quickly adjusted, attached or disengaged, without requiring the use of both hands; that engages relatively large surfaces Y of the fabric, so as not to concentrate its grip on a few strands; that is not provided with cutting edges; that is cheap of construction, durable and convenient in opera tion. j

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of f the following description when taken conjunction with the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my clasp showing it in operative position and a fragment of fabric with which it is shown to be engaged. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l, showing the jaws closed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device showing the jaws disengaged or open. Fig. l is an elevation of the back jaw member in a slightly `modified form. Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the disengaging member shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8. Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the disengaging device. Fig. 7 is a central section of the front member and disengaging member taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows another slight variation in the shape of the claspiiig jaws. Fig. 9 is `a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig.

8. Figs. 10 and ll'show two views front and side elevation, respectively, of a modii'ied form showing means for covering the rear metal surface of the back clasping member with fabric, celluloid, or the like.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of means for covering the rear surface ofthe rear clasping member with a supporter or garter elastic webbing or fabric. Fig. 13 is a fragment-ary front view lof said rear clasping member.

In all the views the same reference char acters are employed to indicate similar parts. Y

My improved clasp consists essentially of the rear clasping member 15 and a front clasping member' 16 hinged together as at 17. The jaw 18, ofthe rear clasping mem ber, extends forwardly of the jaw 19 of the front clasping member, when the parts of the device are in closed position. The aws I I are located on the free ends of the respec- My invention relates to improvements in tive members, and consist of tubular formations produced by turning the ends of said members .overV upon themselves, as clearly shown in the drawings. The jaw 18, of the rear clasping member extends into the circumferential path of the jaw 19 of the front or forward clasping member, so that when thefront clasping member is pressed into position it displaces the jaw 18 of the rear clasping. member, and after the jaw of the front clasping member has beenvplaced in the position shown, for instance in Fig. 2, the resiliencepof the'portions 15 and 16 will cause the jaws to spring back together into place and retain the jaw 19 in closed posiion.

A disengaging device, 20, is carried by the front member 16. In the operation of disengaging the clamping members, the disengaging device 20 is moved from contact with the member 16 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, wherebythe shoulder 21, of said disengaging member, is brought forcibly into contact with the aw 18 of the rear member, thereby displacing said jaw 18, out of the path of the jaw 19, and per mitting the front member'l to pass freely beyond the jaw 18, of the rear member.

To cause the front membei1 16 to move forwardly in anautomatic manner I may cut or forma tongue 22 outv of the portion 15, and cause this resilient tongue to bear forwardly upon the back surface of the member 16, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The free ends 20 of the disengaging inember 2O in the preferred form finds bearing in the'interior of the tubular jaw 19, and these free ends 20', of the disengaging device 20, are held together with more or less resilience by the spring loop 23 of said device and the'terminals of the jaw 19 being inclined, as at 24:, the tension thus produced on the portion 25 of the disengaging device, with referenceto the inclines 24--24 of the front 'clasping jaw, causes the body portion of the disengaging device 20, to be returned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, after it has been moved forwardly to the disengaging position shown in dotted lines and templation of my invention, as for instance in Fig. 9 I have shown the disengaging devide 20 to be an integral part of thefront clasping member 16, instead of being hinged thereto, as shown in Fig. 8 and in the devicev shown in 9 the resilient elasticity of the material of which the disengaging device and the front member 16 are made, tends to yieldingly maintain the disengaging device 20 in the position shown in Fig. 9, and to return it to said position after it has been employed for the purpose intended. And other means than those' specifically shown for effecting this result are within contemplation of the claims and may be employed with advantage. I have merely illustrated the modication shown in Fig. 9 to indicate that it is not essential that the parts 16 and 2O shall be separable parts,

hinged together, as the modification shown .in Fig. 9 will perform all of the functions Y in as satisfactory a manner, as are per formed by the preferred form shown in Fig. 3.

In order to produce more tortuous path for the clasped fabric 25, between the clasping members, I preferably provide subsidiary jaws consisting of projection 26, in the rear clasping member, and projection 27, in the front clasping member, arranged so that the former will neatly nest in the latter, thereby to increase the frictional resistance of the fabric between the respective clasping members. In Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive these nesting members do not extend across the entire lateral extent of the clasping members, but in Figs. 4 and 6 I have shown them so extended operating substantially as corrugations and while the corrugations serve substantially the same purpose as the projections 26 and 27 they contribute somewhat to the resiliency of the respective clasping members to engage, hold and disengage or release the fabric.

vWhen the device is to be used in connection with garters or hose supporters it is desirable to attach an elastic webbing 27 to the rear clasping member 15, or to the front clasping member 16. I prefer to attach the webbing 27 to the front clasping member sol that the strain on the webbing will tend to normally hold the clamp closed, ascshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but it is within the contemplation of my invention to attach the webbing to either member and in Fig. 4 the rear clasping member is so formed that it may be attached to it. In Figs.V 1 and 11 I have made provision for a relatively wide ribbon of elastic webbing 27 wherein a loop is formed by the members 28 and 29 leaving a space 30 therebetween so that the elastic may be slipped into engagement with the member 15 or 16 without the `necessity of slipping'the elastic into the perforation 30, thus provided, before it is sewed, as at 31, and thereby the elastics may be easily and quickly applied to either of the clasping members.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the jaws 18 and 19 to be somewhat transversely curved instead of straight, as shown in the other figures, simply to indicate that such a modification is within the contemplation of my invention.

It is advantageous and desirable to cover the rear metal surface of the clasp, especially the rear member 15, with a material less offensive than the metal and to this end I show a'means of accomplishing this result in Figs. 10 and 11 by cuttingr away a portion of the member 15, at its opposite edges, and thereby providingclips 32 that are bent back upon the body part of the member yto clamp therebetween* a-thin sheet of celluloid, 33 or the like. The Celluloid is then continued around the edge of the jaw 19 and fastened under the jaw terminal 19', as shown in Fig. 11. Another means of accomplishing this result is shown in Figs. 12 and 13 wherein members 341 and 341. integral with the clasp member 15 are bent ba ck upon themselves to `provide an opening in which to pass the end 29 of the elastic fabric or webbing 29 after which this fabric is passed around the clasping member 15 to prevent metal contact thereof with the flesh or body of the wearer. The tape 29 is now passed through the aperture 268 and continued tothe part or object to which it is intended to be attached.

In the operation of the device it is only necessary to insert the fabric 25 between the jaws 15 and 16 and press the jaws together with the hand usedr in placing the clasp in operative position with the fabric. In this way the device may be quickly and easily applied without the necessity of using both hands.y and it may be disengaged with the same attendant convenience, simply by applying the finger, or thumb, under the upper end 23 of the disengaging device 20, and pressing the same out into the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 8 whereby the jaw 18, of the member 15, is forced out of the path of the jaw 19 of the member 16 and the latter member is moved to open positionI by means of the resilient tongue 22, and thus the two jaws are alwaysy yieldingly held in open position ready for insertion of the fabric with which they are intended to engage. l

rIhe broad transverse area of the fabric engaged by the clasping device is so large as to prevent the possibility of concentrating the holding effect to a small area and` thereby causing breaking of the thread or chains nfk the `fabrica When the strain in a longitudinal plane applied to the members 25 and 29 becomes excessive, it will serve to open the clasp before damage to the fabric will occur and thus a factor of safety is introduced into the operation of the device.

While I have shown several modifications for the purpose of indicating the direction to which changes in the illustrated eXempliication may take I wish it understood that I am not limited to the few and specific .modifications shown but that my invention is intended to cover any and all modifications within the definition of the appended claims.

fhat I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a rear member and a front member hinged together and each provided on its free end with a clamping jaw, the jaw of the rear member located in front of the jaw of the front member when the latter is in closed position, and within the circumferential path of the aw of the front member when the latter is moved from open to closed position, and a manually operable disengaging lever movably connected to the front member for separating said members.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a rear member and a front member hinged together, and each provided on its free end with a clamping jaw, the jaw of the rear member located in front of the jaw of the front member when the latter is in closed position, and within the circumferential path of the jaw of the front member when the latter is moved from open 'in closed position, and within the circumferenti al path of the jaw of the front member when the latter is moved from open to closed position, a disengaging means for separating said members, pivoted in the jaw of the front member, and means for yieldingly returning said disengaging member to normal, closed, position.

4. A device of the character described,

comprising a rear member and a front member hinged together andy each provided on its free end with a clamping jaw, the jaw of the rear member located in front of the jaw of the front member when the latter is in closed position and within the circumferential path of the jaw of the front member when the latter is moved from open to closed position; an elastic tongue carried by one of said members adapted to separate the members when the jaws have been disengaged and means carried by the device to disengage the members.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a rear member and a front member hinged together and each provided on its free end with a clamping jaw, the jaw of the rear member located in front of the jaw of. the front member, when the latter is in closed position, and within the circumferential path of the jaw of the front member, when the latter is moved from open to closed position; supplementary jaws, consisting of a nesting elevation and depression carried, respectively, by said members and means,

kcarried by the front member for separating said members.

6. A device of the character described,

comprising a rear member and a front member hinged together and each provided on its free end with a clamping jaw,the jaw of the rear member located in front of the jaw of the front member when the latter is in closed position, and within the circumferential path of the jaw of the front member, when the latter is moved from open to closed position, and a disengaging member hinged to the jaw of the front member and having a shoulder normally bearing on the jaw of the rear member for disengaging said members.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a rear member and a front member hinged together, each member carrying a cooperating jaw; a disengaging member hinged to the j aw of the front member and having a shoulder normally bearing on the jaw of the rear member for disengagin'g said members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

LEE E. BEREBAUM. In the presence of- GEo. T. MAY, Jr., MARY F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

